The disposal of used tires is a big problem. Billions of used tires are stockpiled, and hundreds of millions of used tires are added to that number each year in the United States alone. Regardless of how they are stored or stacked, used tires inevitably collect water inside their hollow structure. The water quickly provides a breeding ground for rats, snakes, and mosquitoes.
A used tire left unattended will often collect water from rainfall. This quickly causes mosquito infestation, which is of particular concern, due to the many diseases spread by this insect. Malaria, West Nile virus, Dengue fever, and Encephalitis are a few of the diseases that may result from the improper storage of old tires. Once an infestation occurs, it can spread quickly. As of February 2003, the West Nile Virus has infected 4008 people, resulting in 263 deaths, affecting about three-quarters of the states in the United States. The West Nile virus problem has even caused disruption in the collection of blood, in some communities.
Pesticides are sometimes used in communities where infestation is likely. The benefit of pesticide spraying is the subject of much heated debate. Pesticides, such as Malathion, have been classified as carcinogens by the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency. These known neurotoxins are considered hormone disruptors and have been shown to cause cancer in animals. Environmentalists assert that the chemicals used in pesticides have not been adequately tested for their effects on human health.
Further, pesticides are very expensive as a solution to mosquito infestation. In the pesticide-spraying contract for one community, for example, $125,000 was spent on the aviation and labor costs while $225,000 was spent on the pesticide chemicals.
Used tires are sometimes shredded to prevent mosquito infestation. Huge mounds of shredded rubber are susceptible to spontaneous combustion, resulting in hazardous fires. These unwanted fires produce black smoke containing carcinogens such as benzene, toluene, and xylene, invading nearby communities with pollution, while toxic oil from the fires permeates the soil and contaminates waterways.
Federal, state, and local laws are enacted to regulate the outside storage of used tires. Unfortunately, these regulations have largely been ineffective and, in some instances, have actually compounded the problem. In many states, it is illegal to store tires outside, which limits the number of tires a recycling center can receive. Often, the result is the illegal dumping of used tires.
Scrap tires have many end uses. Used tires can be made into crumb rubber and used for land reclamation projects, septic system facilities, asphalt highway, agriculture, stamped products, artificial reefs, and landfill operation. They can also be used as fuel and can be exported for use outside the United States. Unfortunately, though, a great many scrap tires end up in legal and illegal dumping locales, making nearby communities vulnerable to the aforementioned problems.
Thus, there is a continuing need for a device that can be used to safely store used tires. The used tires should be stored in a manner that will prevent mosquito infestation and unwanted fires from occurring before the tires are recycled.